HUNDREDS of rail passengers were stuck in sweltering conditions after a train broke down on the North Wales main line.

HUNDREDS of rail passengers were stuck in sweltering conditions after a train broke down on the North Wales main line.

A Virgin train, travelling from London to Holyhead, came to a standstill at Prestatyn after developing a brake fault.

Six trains behind the Virgin service were unable to carry on with their journeys until the train had been moved. Later trains were either delayed or cancelled.

Passengers aboard the London train were told to get off while coaches were arranged to take them to other stations along the coast.

The train broke down on Saturday morning and the timetable did not return to normal until Sunday lunchtime.

David Cox, from Bangor, said: "I was travelling back from London. "We were told to get off the train and watched as the driver tried to fix the problem before it crawled off towards Rhyl."

Further down the line passengers were held up for hours on other trains.

Mum-of-three Angela Bolton, from Saltney, sat on a First North Western train at Chester for over two hours. She said: "I was travelling to Llandudno and we didn't leave the platform.

"We lost half the day at the station. No one knew what was happening and staff were no help at all," she said.

Other passengers were held up by signals on the line in sweltering conditions.

Return services from Llandudno and Holyhead were also disrupted because of the delays.

Last night Virgin Trains apologised for the delay, which they said was caused by a mechanical fault.

Virgin spokesman David Ewart said: "The driver could not release the brake fully and so the train could not continue. As soon as we realised what was happening coaches were arranged but a delay of over two hours unfortunately resulted."

First North Western said their timetable did not return to normal until Sunday morning. A spokeswoman said: "We apologise to customers who experienced delays. Alternative services were made available but it did lead to extended journey times."

Meanwhile train passengers travelling from North Wales towards London face further misery from next weekend.

Network Rail have announced major engineering work on the West Coast Main Line around Milton Keynes.

It will add hours to journeys across next weekend, and for nine days between August 23 and September 1 - including the late summer bank holiday.